Automatic weather strip



H. L. CUSICK.

AU'TONIATIC WEATHER STRIP. APPLICATIONHLED APR. 29. 1919.

1,434,530. Patented Nov. 7,1922.

H L.CUEICK 9 mvENToR ATTDRLEY tion.A

llatented Nov.. 7, i922.

i "Uran er HYLNID L. CUSICK, OF PZTTSBURGH, FENFFS WLVANIP.

AUTGFI''EC 'WEATHER STRIP;

Application Ied April 29, Serial No. 293,491.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that l, HYLAND L. Cusrcn, a citizen of the United States o1E America, residingat Fittsburgh,in Ythe county or Allegheny and .l/tate ot Pennsylvanie., have invented certain new and useful linprovements in Automatic lil-leather Strips, of

which the following is a specilication. f

- The present invention relates to automatic weather strips iter doors, of the type which is hinged to the door base, and when the door is closed the said strip closes the space between the door and its threshold and when the door is opened'the said strip is automatically raised to permit the door to be freely opened. The present invention being made ot thin metal is comparatively light, its appearance isvery good and its construction inezrpensive, and therefore, much to be preferred to the commonly used wooden strips or a similar character.

In the accompanying drawings forming part ot this specilication l have shown one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention, and some modilied details constructed according to the best modes have sofar devised. :tor the practical application of the principles yotrny inven- Figure l ot' the drawings is anelevational vView of the invention applied to the base of a door.

. Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Figure 1. t

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail ot the base ofthe metal stripl forming part of theinvention.

Figure 4: is an end view of Figure 10 taken vfrom the lett of same.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5 5 of Figure 1. a, Y

. Figure 6 is a vertical elevation taken on line 6 6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on line 7 7 of Figure 10.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary pers aective view taken on line 8 8 et Figure 2.

Figure 9 is vertical section on line 9 9 of Figure 10. v

Figure v10 is ar front elevation ot Figure 9. l f

'Figure 11 is a plan view oit a metal abutment used with my device.

rlhe device consists ol the following parts: The numeral 1 indicates a transverse metal strip of a shape shown in Figure 8 hinged tothe door 2 at and Ll, rod serving as a pintle oit said hinges. The metal brhcl ets 6, 7 forming part of the hinges have anvoiitstanding portion 8 through which the rod o Liasses as shown inFigure 1. The

ltransverse metal strip 1 near its base is bent at an angleat 9 and is bent into a series of convolutions 109 1l between which is `held a piece of yielding material 12, preferably felt, in such a fashion as prevents the rough edges of said material-'from being seen. The convolutions of thetbent metal strip bear compressibly against the telt 12 to hold ksame in position. At the top orn metal strip lis a bent turn 13 through which tljie rod :L3 n sses forming a support or'the metal strip as shown in Figure 1. Mounted en .the metal strip 1 on the inner side there-- is guide wire loop 14 of a shape shown Figure' o ror a .purpose to be described. l ounted on the door 2 beneath the metal .strip l isa supporting` bracketl, secured to the door by screws 16, 1i",A etc. Passing through said supporting bracket longitudinally `is a vspringr wire 18 the lett end of which as seen in Figure lis returned upon itselt at `i9 as shown. The supporting` bracket '15 at this point is slotted at 2O as shown Vin Figure l to receive the returned wire-18 has a'dewnwardly projecting portie-iu bent `shown in Figures 1 and 10.

The supporting bracket 15is cut away at 22 .18 when the latch lever 25 is rotated in a clockwise direction as .seen in 'Figure 9. The stop 2G also is provided with an adjusting screw 27 by which means the rotary operation of the spring wire 18 can he eX- actly controlled. @n the door jainb 28 is a metal strip 29 which may be either countersunlr in Figure 6, or may merely be placed on the surface of said jamb, and in either case rigidly attached thereto. The purpose ot the metal strip 29 is to tairel the wear or the engagement of the latch lever with the door amb 28. The downwardly projecting portion 21. or the spring wire .end 19 of the spring wire 18. rlhe spring f is normally in engagement within the 'wire loop 14 as shown in Figures 8, 6 and 5. 1t is seen that the wire 18 being of an elastic nature resists the torsion of the latch lever 25 in an anti-clockwise direction as seen in Figure 8 on account of the returned portion 19 being held within the slot 2O of the supporting bracket 15. 1t is also seen that as the door 2 is closed as shown in Figure 6 that said latch lever 25 is thrown to the left in an anti-clockwise direction thus placing a torsional tension in the spring wire 18 and at the same time bringing the downwardly projecting portion 21 of the spring wire intothe position shown at 30 in Figure 6. Vhen the metal strip 1 is in this latter position it is seen that the felt 12 closes the space between the base of the door 2 and the top of the thresholdl at point 32, and makes an air tight seal at this point. 1n Figure 7, 1 have shown a modified method of forming a stop for the rotation of the downwardly projecting portion 21 of the spring wire 18. 1t is seen in said Figure 7 that when the wire 21 rotates to a point as at 33 that the cut out portion 35 of the bracket 15 limits the rotary travel of the said portion 21. The purpose of both the stops 26 andy 36 which are alternative'structures is to limit the rotation of the downstanding arm 21 of the spring wire 18. The numeral 37 shows a metal deiiecting abutment (see Figures 1, and 11 of the drawing), having a vertically disposed plate portion 48, which is attached to the door jamb 38 by fastening means45, a vertical bent plate -portion 49, inclined with reference to the portion 48, and a horizontally disposed portion formed preferably integral with the bent plate portion 49, thus forming abrace Vfor the latter as is readily understood. The purpose and use of this abutment 37 is described hereinafter in this specification.

The operationof the device is as follows:

- 1t is at once seen that when the door is open as indicated in Figure 8 that the latch lever 25 will assume the position shown in said ligure due to the normal torsional spring in the wire 18, and that the downwardly projecting` portion 21 of said wire will take the position shown at 46 due `to the same cause. '1n this situation it is seen that the part 21 raises the metal strip 1 from the floor line upwardly about the hinge rod or pintle 5. lVhile in this latter position it is seen thatsthe door can be readily opened without the felt 12 engaging the floor or carpet covering same. As thedoor is placed in the position indicated at 39 2, it is seen that the latch lever 25 engages against the plate 29 and is rotated to the position shown in Figure 6 in an anti- 'cloclrwise direction, thereby bringing the part 21 and the metal strip 1 to the posi- 23, which engages against the upper face of the bracket 15. 1n like manner'if the type of kstop shown in Figure 7 is used when the part 21 reaches the part 36 its-rotary movement is also stopped as is at once understood. 1t is seen that the guide -wire loop 14 is muchl longer than is required for the entrance of the downwardly pro-v jecting portion 21 of the wire-'18, so that when a door which is sprung and does not fit perfectly in the `door jambs -is rencountered, 4that the part 21 will not jam in the loop 14 as is at once appreciated from the inspection of Figures 1 and 5, and it is for this reason that the said loop 14 is made of a greater length than is necessary for the mere reception of the part 21. When the door 2 is opened still lfurther to a position shown at 40 it is seenthat the outer edge 41`of the strip I1 is in the posi- 'tion shown in 'Figure 2. The square corner 42 of the metal strip 1 engages against the angular metal abutment 37 on portion 49 thereof, and the latter starts to depress the metal strip 1 about the rod or pintle 5 asa center revolving the pa-rt 12 downward as `same-is seen in Figures 8 and 6k of the drawing. Thepurpse of this arrangement is to enable the door-2vto be still further-opened to the position 43 at which point the felt `12 of thev metal strip 1 has approached to practically its lowest position similar to that shown in Figure 6. By this arrangement it is seen that the door 2y can be completely opened due to the action of the square corner ofthe metal strip 1 at pointy 42. :My device can be readily adapted for various widths of doors by merely removing the rod 5 longitudinally,and shearing the edge 44 of strip 1, and the rod 5 to the desired dimensions. This is a point of considerable utility in connection with the device.

From the above description it is seen that I have provided an automatic weatherstrip which, when the door is closed provides ,a perfectly tight seal for the base ofthe door, and as soon as the door is opened vthe weather strip is automatically raised from engagement with the floor or carpet, allow-- ing the door to be opened. 1t` isV seen that my structure and arrangements of parts enable the door to be opened practically its full width, an arrangement which is not found in the common types of weather strips in current use.

The appearance of my type of'weather strip is very attractive being made oi' very thin metal which can be enameled in colors to match the particular color of trimmings of the Wood Work in the room in which it is used.

What I claim is l. In a door structure, a transverse door strip provided With a corner near the hinged side of the door, 'adapted to engage an adjacent door jamb for the purpose oi depressing said strip when the door is fully opened; a guide Wire loop on the strip, automatic means for raising the door strip eom prising a spring Wire having a. downwardly extending portion slidably engaging the guide Wire loop, and an upwardly extend-- ing adjustable stop for limiting the upward movement of the strip, a latch lever on one end of said spring wire, and a returned por-' tion at its opposite end; a supporting bracket mounted on the door, having a slotted end for receiving the aforesaid returned end ot the spring Wire; and a bent base on the door strip consisting of a series of convolutions of metal and yielding material formed in alternate laminations.

2. In combination With a door having a jamb a transverse door strip having' a corner projecting perpendicularly to the lace of. the door, an inclined abutment mounted on the door jamb, and adapted to engage the corner of the door strip for gradually depressing the latter When the door is being opened to its fully opened position.

3. In a detiecting abutment adapted to engage against the edge ol a door structure a transverse door strip, having a verticallj,T disposed plate portion for attachment to the face of a door jamb, a vertical bent plate portion inclined with reference to the {irst described portion, and a horizontally disposed plate portion formed integrally With the vertical bent plate portion 'forming a brace for the latter.

et. In a door structure, a transverse doer strip having a corner near the hinged side of the dcor,an inclined door j amb abutment WhiclVsaid strip is adapted to engage; a

guide Wire loop on the strip, a spring Wire f having a downwardly `extending portion slidably engaging the guide Wire loop, and an upwardly extending step for limiting the upward travel of the strip, an integral latch lever on one end or' said spring Wire, and a returned portion at `its opposite end; a supporting bracket mounted on the door7 having a slotted end for receiving the aforesaid returned end of the spring Wire; and a bent base on the door strip consisting of a series of convolutions of metal and yielding material in alternate laminations,

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

HYLAND L. CUSICK-L Witnesses lWILLIAM A. I-IIRTLE, A, F, KAUFMAN. 

